I've been working on a Game Library for a set of computers made by VTech. I wonder if the MP Arcade Game Maker could be coded to work with these platforms? They are Z80. Website: https://bluebilby.com/foxglovz/
I don't see why not. If you or someone else wants to take a look at the Spectrum engine and compiler, (the source for which is included in the download), I'd be happy to put some Windows editors together and output the data in a form your compiler would need. Essentially it would be a case of making a few changes to the compiler (CompilerZX.c) and engine (EngineZX.asm), modding the input and output routines to work with the VTech. So long as you are happy to write the code to write blocks and characters to the screen, move sprites, read the keyboard etc. it should be straightforward enough. The only other thing you might want to consider is making some parts of the engine conditional in order to save memory.
I'm happy to do work on it. There are some weird caveats with this platform so I'm not sure it'll be doable. No sprites and no Collison registers, for example.
There are no hardware sprites on the Spectrum either, the engine XORs sprites and objects on to the screen, then XORs them again to remove them. It does the same for the PLOT command so you might need to re-think these routines. All collisions are coordinate based so it should just be a case of modding the collision routines to work with half the resolution. Spectrum sprites are moved 2 pixels at a time horizontally so there are 4 pre-shifted copies of each frame on that format, you'd have to figure out what would work best for VTech. Objects aren't animated so those are shifted into position at run-time on the Spectrum.
The speaker looks very familiar so no worries there. :)
I want to program games for the huge and growing Commodore 64 fan community, but assembler is to hard for me. Im searching for a C64 game maker and so i´m here.
Your tool looks great, do you have plans for the Commodore 64 to?
Yes, hopefully. I'm looking for someone to convert the engine and compiler to the C64. I can write the Windows graphics editors and output the data given the specifications. We already have compilers and engines for 6502 machines so hopefully someone will step forward. There is a thread over at Lemon 64 if you would like to post there and let the C64 community know how much you would like to see this happen.
Maybe you should inform crew at Mega65 about this exciting project. It seems that people are pretty much active there (and in search for software tools for that platform). Mega65 should be released this year iirc, and it should be downward compatible to C64. Think about it like Spectrum Next vs classic Speccy. Links: Mega65.org , forum (games & apps subsection) Thank you for your efforts.
I'd like to know if in the screen design it is possible to shift the blocks up, down, left, right instead of redesign all the screen.
Furthermore I'd like to know if it is possible to maintain the majority of the blocks of the screens designed once I decide to change the screen dimensions.
You mean allow the user to scroll the screen around in the designer with the cursors, like in the sprite designer? I hadn't thought of that but yes it's a good idea. I'll have to change the keys around as the cursors are currently used for something else. Your second request was requested by someone a while back and is already on my to-do list. It's actually a lot of work to do though so I've been delaying it. :)
I am planning to create games for not just the ZX Spectrum, but also the Commodore 64. I would love to see a game made through AGD for that system (considering you have the Acorn Atom, a 6502 based system, supported), it would be a great addition to the C64 community for both people who are introduced to the world of retro gaming, and experienced C64 programmers.
Not yet, but I'd like it to. For that we'd need to get a NES developer on board to help convert the compiler (simple enough) and engine (slightly trickier). I'd be happy to co-operate, share code (the source is freely available in the download) and write any Windows editor code required for things like sprites and graphics. If you know any NES forums where developers hang out you could try and post there to show there's enthusiasm for the tool and see if anyone's interested. If you do, let me know where you've posted and I'll come along and offer my assistance
Well I didn't post anywhere, but you can! I found a subreddit, r/NESDEV, and there you can probably ask others. I would really like to help, but I am in no way capable of doing something like this.
hallo! I just tried to download multiplattaform game designer but windows security keeps on deleting it identifying it as virus infected. Is it normal?
The tool runs on a PC but you'll need an emulator or a real machine to test the games you create with it. Take a quick look at the YouTube videos to see how it works
would it be possible to create a basic FPS game like doom with this program? I'm asking because I'd like to make an exclusive FPS game for the spectrum
Interesting question, nobody's asked that before! Realistically, you won't be able to create a FPS like Doom with this. To be honest you'd have to be exceptional at Z80 assembler to achieve that on a Z80 running at 3.5 MHz. Then again, one or two enterprising individuals have managed to write 3D games using AGD plus there's an isometric game written with the tool and I wouldn't have thought either of those possible. Nothing remotely like Doom though. You have to get a bit creative with sprites and blocks to do anything vaguely 3D-ish
ok, thank you, I will try my best to use the limitations of the engine to my advantage and try to make a very simplistic fps game for the spectrum, I shall tell you how I get on
Alas you can't, you'll need to use an assembler and an emulator. Everyone's different so choose your own setup, you can configure it yourself. For example, WinApe is a CPC emulator that has its own assembler included and is an excellent way to test CPC games written with this tool - export a source file, import into WinApe's assembler, then run it
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IT IS A GREAT TOOL! Is there any possibility that in the future the tool can export the games to the micro msx?
I'm not sure what the Micro MSX is but if someone wants to create a compiler and engine for any new format I'll incorporate them into the tool.
I've been working on a Game Library for a set of computers made by VTech. I wonder if the MP Arcade Game Maker could be coded to work with these platforms? They are Z80.
Website: https://bluebilby.com/foxglovz/
I don't see why not. If you or someone else wants to take a look at the Spectrum engine and compiler, (the source for which is included in the download), I'd be happy to put some Windows editors together and output the data in a form your compiler would need. Essentially it would be a case of making a few changes to the compiler (CompilerZX.c) and engine (EngineZX.asm), modding the input and output routines to work with the VTech. So long as you are happy to write the code to write blocks and characters to the screen, move sprites, read the keyboard etc. it should be straightforward enough. The only other thing you might want to consider is making some parts of the engine conditional in order to save memory.
I'm happy to do work on it. There are some weird caveats with this platform so I'm not sure it'll be doable. No sprites and no Collison registers, for example.
I've documented some of it here: https://jasonoakley.com/foxglovz-dev/foxglovz-dev-diary-part-1/
Please let me know if that will prevent it being used with your engine.
Oh! On the Facebook group Kees says "The CCE-MC1000 has a Z80 and a 6847 so I think this is a good start."
Same specs.
There are no hardware sprites on the Spectrum either, the engine XORs sprites and objects on to the screen, then XORs them again to remove them. It does the same for the PLOT command so you might need to re-think these routines. All collisions are coordinate based so it should just be a case of modding the collision routines to work with half the resolution. Spectrum sprites are moved 2 pixels at a time horizontally so there are 4 pre-shifted copies of each frame on that format, you'd have to figure out what would work best for VTech. Objects aren't animated so those are shifted into position at run-time on the Spectrum.
The speaker looks very familiar so no worries there. :)
Hello Jonathan,
I want to program games for the huge and growing Commodore 64 fan community, but assembler is to hard for me. Im searching for a C64 game maker and so i´m here.
Your tool looks great, do you have plans for the Commodore 64 to?
Best regards from Austria.
gunnas
Yes, hopefully. I'm looking for someone to convert the engine and compiler to the C64. I can write the Windows graphics editors and output the data given the specifications. We already have compilers and engines for 6502 machines so hopefully someone will step forward. There is a thread over at Lemon 64 if you would like to post there and let the C64 community know how much you would like to see this happen.
Jonathan,
Maybe you should inform crew at Mega65 about this exciting project. It seems that people are pretty much active there (and in search for software tools for that platform).
Mega65 should be released this year iirc, and it should be downward compatible to C64. Think about it like Spectrum Next vs classic Speccy.
Links: Mega65.org , forum (games & apps subsection)
Thank you for your efforts.
Best regards
Dear Jonathan... great tool.
I'd like to know if in the screen design it is possible to shift the blocks up, down, left, right instead of redesign all the screen.
Furthermore I'd like to know if it is possible to maintain the majority of the blocks of the screens designed once I decide to change the screen dimensions.
That would save a lot of time.
Thanks.
Leonardo
You mean allow the user to scroll the screen around in the designer with the cursors, like in the sprite designer? I hadn't thought of that but yes it's a good idea. I'll have to change the keys around as the cursors are currently used for something else. Your second request was requested by someone a while back and is already on my to-do list. It's actually a lot of work to do though so I've been delaying it. :)
I am planning to create games for not just the ZX Spectrum, but also the Commodore 64. I would love to see a game made through AGD for that system (considering you have the Acorn Atom, a 6502 based system, supported), it would be a great addition to the C64 community for both people who are introduced to the world of retro gaming, and experienced C64 programmers.
Does this support NES files?
Not yet, but I'd like it to. For that we'd need to get a NES developer on board to help convert the compiler (simple enough) and engine (slightly trickier). I'd be happy to co-operate, share code (the source is freely available in the download) and write any Windows editor code required for things like sprites and graphics. If you know any NES forums where developers hang out you could try and post there to show there's enthusiasm for the tool and see if anyone's interested. If you do, let me know where you've posted and I'll come along and offer my assistance
Well I didn't post anywhere, but you can! I found a subreddit, r/NESDEV, and there you can probably ask others. I would really like to help, but I am in no way capable of doing something like this.
hallo! I just tried to download multiplattaform game designer but windows security keeps on deleting it identifying it as virus infected. Is it normal?
Thank you
A new wanna be 8bit game developer
DrNutella
It shouldn't do that. Which file are you trying to download, the 32-bit or 64-bit version?
Both…
I finally downloaded the files and are clean and perfectly working. I don't know why windows edge is so picky.
I just used chrome for downloading the zip file of the 64 bit version
Thank you for keeping the mighty little speccy alive!
Regards,
Gabriele
In the description it mentions making games for "8-bit computers." Do I need a certain computer or virtual machine to run this?
The tool runs on a PC but you'll need an emulator or a real machine to test the games you create with it. Take a quick look at the YouTube videos to see how it works
would it be possible to create a basic FPS game like doom with this program? I'm asking because I'd like to make an exclusive FPS game for the spectrum
Interesting question, nobody's asked that before! Realistically, you won't be able to create a FPS like Doom with this. To be honest you'd have to be exceptional at Z80 assembler to achieve that on a Z80 running at 3.5 MHz. Then again, one or two enterprising individuals have managed to write 3D games using AGD plus there's an isometric game written with the tool and I wouldn't have thought either of those possible. Nothing remotely like Doom though. You have to get a bit creative with sprites and blocks to do anything vaguely 3D-ish
ok, thank you, I will try my best to use the limitations of the engine to my advantage and try to make a very simplistic fps game for the spectrum, I shall tell you how I get on
8bit FPS will be something like NES version of Top Gun, I assume. Or Duck Hunt :\ Not even close to Doom, yup. But still a bit of unusual classics!
how do u test the game in the program?
Alas you can't, you'll need to use an assembler and an emulator. Everyone's different so choose your own setup, you can configure it yourself. For example, WinApe is a CPC emulator that has its own assembler included and is an excellent way to test CPC games written with this tool - export a source file, import into WinApe's assembler, then run it
Update: Kees van Oss' build suites are included in the download so MPAGD should automatically fire up an emulator for you to test your game